Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney, Rae Cooper AO argues that better workplaces and stronger careers depend on getting flexibility right.

Flexible work has become a defining feature of modern working life, but access to “Good Flex” is emerging as a new marker of job quality. While some workers have greater choice and control over how, when and where they work, many others, especially frontline workers, experience limited flexibility, unpredictable work patterns, or forms of flexibility that do not support their lives or careers.

Drawing on extensive research and real-world insights from workers, employers and government, Professor Cooper will examine how well-designed flexibility can improve gender equality, support career progression, build workforce sustainability and deliver better outcomes for workers and organisations.

The 2026 Hancock Lecture considers how social science insights can help labour market stakeholders design and implement flexible work arrangements that create mutually beneficial outcomes for workers, organisations and society.

About the speaker

Professor Rae Cooper AO, FASSA is the founding Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work and Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on gender equality at work, women’s careers in male-dominated occupations and sectors, job quality, flexible work and workplace change.

She has led major competitively funded and commissioned research projects, collaborating with governments, unions, employers and community organisations to generate evidence and translate research into actionable insights for workplaces and policy.

Rae has published an extensive body of influential peer-reviewed research and major industry and government-facing reports. She is a prominent commentator on work and employment issues, regularly contributing to media, policy and business forums. She has been appointed to a range of government boards, inquiries and expert taskforces and is currently President of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Board of Jobs and Skills Australia.

The Hancock Lecture is hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia

Contact the host of Let’s talk about flex: How ‘Good Flex’ builds sustainable careers and better workplaces